Mother always said, that when you are born, your life is like a blank canvas, fresh and full of potential.

"The happy and joyful moments of your life, are like vibrant colors that fuse together to create an image." She'd said while I was playing with her white and lavender tail one afternoon. She told me the other half of it when I'd fallen down the stairs, she shushed me as I snuggled into her soft pink coat, before giving a kiss on the knee I’d hurt and telling me, "There are also sad and unhappy times in life, but those provide mild and darker tones, creating an important contrast so that you'll appreciate the lighter colors all the more."

Back then, I never would have thought that my life would have had this many dark colors, but I have had my fair share of bright ones as well, so I suppose it's not so bad. Sure my 'painting' is a little darker than I would have liked it to be, but I have Mr. Wiggles and I am getting by just fine.

Speaking of painting.

I scrunched my muzzle in thought as I examined the landscape on the easel before me. While technically finished, looking over the finishing touches, something just didn’t feel right. Like mother, like daughter; I never could walk away from a finished piece. It always felt like something could be added to make it just a little bit better.

“What do you think, Mr. Wiggles?” I mused, tapping my chin with a forehoof. “Is the shading along the lake too dark for this—”

A soft thumping on my foreleg interrupted my train of thought. I looked down at the small rabbit while he stared back up at me with concern. His charcoal fur was highlighted with many silvery hairs, a testament to his age and wisdom. He turned and pointed to the clock on the paint-chipped wall above my makeshift sofa-bed. I hazily blinked at him a few times before looking back to the canvas.

"Would a darker shade of orange for this portion of the sunset accent the lake better?"

He kicked me with his foot and pointed impatiently at the clock again. I let out a small sigh, he was being difficult. Sometimes, I wondered how much he could understand me when I talked to him... But ever since Mother passed away, he's the only one I have left to talk to.

“Don’t worry, I’m almost done. I’ll take a break in just... a... minute...” I replied slowly, as I concentrated. Sticking out and biting my tongue, I levitated my brush and meticulously added a deeper shading to the sunset.

Wiggles groaned and hopped off, returning a few moments later to pester me again.

“Stop it!” I demanded, looking down to him with a small glare. “I told you I would...”

I trailed off as I caught sight of the shiny red apple he held, not more than a moment later my stomach emitted a low rumble at the site of food. Wiggles narrowed his eyes, promptly lifting the apple up to me. I laughed sheepishly, like a foal who got caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, before leaning down and taking a large bite out of the apple.

“Fhine, hue when,” I began before swallowing the mouth full of apple. “I’ll take a break and eat something.” The victorious bunny gave a satisfied nod, then quickly finished off the remainder of the apple.

“But first, where am I going to put this one?” I mused as I scanned the room.

I’d run out of hanging space on walls of my tiny studio a long time ago. My art collection now lined up in stacks along the base of each wall. With a small shrug, I trotted to the section of the small room that I deemed ‘the kitchen.’

I’ll figure it out later. It could use some drying time anyways.

I took a brief moment to glance back to the clock. “4 p.m.? Is it really that late already?” I mused, noting that my habit of getting stuck on miniscule things had again got the better of me.

Wiggles tapped once more at my foreleg to gain my attention. He gestured a paw across the length of my chest, forelegs and mane. I looked down to said areas, only now realizing what a mess I was. Splotches of color all over stained the pure white. It reminded me of when I tried dying my mane; though, it never did seem to last. Besides, Mother would always disapprove and tell me that I shouldn't try to cover up who I really am, so eventually, I just gave up on the idea.

I looked down to Wiggles with a mock pout. “Yes, Father, I’ll go wash up first.” The rabbit brought his forepaws to his hips, letting out a faint sigh as he shook his head at me.

I covered a small giggle with a forehoof before making my way to the sink. levitating a sponge before wetting it, I proceeded to clean off my snowy coat and mane. The action reminded me of how Mother used to call me "her unspoiled canvas." She said it was always the most exciting part of painting, looking over the blank canvas and imagining all the possibilities. It made her happy that her daughter so resembled her favorite thing, and she would always tell me I could be anything that I wanted, but...

I looked back to my painters palette and brush cutie mark and smiled to myself.

I already knew what I wanted to be, it just took the right moment to prove it.

The sound of an unexpected knock at the door pulled me out of my reminiscing, stealing a gasp from me as I dropped the sponge from my magical grasp. I blinked a few times in surprise before looking back to the clock once more, making sure I hadn’t somehow lost track of time again.

She’s early? The delivery mare’s never early... if anything she's always late.

Concerned by the sudden turn of events, I hesitantly crossed the room; cautiously avoiding random buckets of paint, saddlebags, and other miscellaneous art supplies strewn across the floor.

“H-hello?” I called out to the visitor softly as I approached the door.

“Delivery for a ‘Prism’,” came the rough voice of a stallion from the other side.

A cold chill went down my spine at the unfamiliar voice.

It isn’t her...

“O-Oh, um... thank you. Could you, uh, just leave it there for me? I’ll come get it in a few minutes. I-I’m, um... a little busy.”

“Sorry, can’t do that ma’am. Regulations state packages over forty pounds require the recipient's signature for delivery.”

“B-But, the normal delivery mare just leaves it there for me,” I stated, as I took a step back from the door.

“Well, she’s not supposed to,” he replied, hinting of disapproval in his voice. “Anyways, please open the door and sign for this, I have other packages to deliver.”

I bit my lower lip as I looked myself over hesitantly. If there was one thing I learned from my days in school, it’s that other ponies don’t react too well to my appearance. The disapproving looks, the shocked stares, the hurtful comments; I took extra precautions to avoid those situations.

“W-wait just a moment please!”

I quickly trotted up to my coat hanger by the door, and reached up to pull down my mother’s old cloak. It was battered, beaten and had countless paint stains, but it served its purpose well. I paused for a moment, realizing I was forgetting something. I turned back to the room to find Wiggles waiting in front of me with a pair of hair ties in his mouth.

“What would I do without you,” I said with a sigh of relief, as I took the ties from him.

“Are you going to sign for this or not? I don’t have all day lady...” Came the stallions voice again, showing clear signs of irritation.

“Be right there!” I called back to him, as I hastily tied back my mane and rolled up my tail, securing it with the other tie.

“I’m leaving! And taking this with me!” stated the now angry voice, quickly followed by a small thud.

I hopped to my hooves and bolted for the door, nearly losing my hoofing with my takeoff. “WAIT!” I called out to the stallion as I threw open the door.

The cyan unicorn turned around to face me with a frown, before sitting the large package back down from his magical grip.

“About time,” he huffed, as he levitated a clipboard from atop the box in his green magic, and promptly stuffed it in my face. “Sign here please.”

I took the clipboard from him in my hooves. “T-Thank you!” I replied hastily, before picking up the pencil on the edge of the clipboard in my teeth, and scribbling my signature on the dotted line. “H-Here.” I held out the paper to him.

He raised an eyebrow at me curiously as he enveloped the board in his magic, levitating it to him. “Thanks...”

I darted up to the box and grabbed a hold of one of the strings tying the box closed, and with several straining groans, slowly began pulling the package back to my door.

The delivery stallion looked down to me, clearly unamused. “Need a hoof?” he asked flatly.

I let go of the string and quickly shook my head dismissively. “N-No, I’m, um, fine. I got it!” I insisted, before going back to my feeble pulling of the package.

The stallion facehoofed with a hard groan before enveloping the box in his magic, levitating the package and dragging me up with it. I quickly lost my grip and fell to the floor, landing on my flank with a hard thud and soft squeak, as he sat the box to rest inside my doorway.

“Goodbye, have a nice day,” he said half-heartedly, as he took off down the hallway to the staircase.

I watched him until he was out of sight, then fell backwards, flopping on the floor with a long drawn-out sigh.

Thank Celestia that is over...

I rolled over and climbed to my hooves before walking through my door and around the box.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute.” I said, looking down to the package as I gently kicked my room’s door closed with a hind leg.

I began to take off my cloak, but paused for a moment.

Since I’m already ready to go out... I may as well get the big shopping for the month out of the way.

I groaned slightly as I reflected on the thought, but as much as I hated the grocery store, a mare’s got to eat, and it was where the food was. With a sigh of defeat, I walked up to the pair of my largest saddlebags in the center of the room, and checked to make sure they were empty before sliding into them.

“Mr. Wiggles, I’m heading to the store, want to come?” I asked, before scanning the room for my friend, and finding him lazing about on the couch.

I trotted up to him and poked him with a hoof. “Coming?“ I inquired, turning sideways and looking back to him expectantly.

He let a long yawn before hopping off the sofa, and crawling under it.

“I’ll, uh... take that as a no,” I mused, before looking to the clock. “Well, I guess it is close to your usual nap time...”

I trotted across the room, dodging the miscellaneous floor hazards to the kitchen table and grabbed my usual shopping list, then stashed it in my left saddle bag, before hurrying back to the door.

“I’ll be back soon,” I called out to Wiggles, as I made my way out into the hall.

I looked both ways instinctively before heading for the elevator.

Out of Order.

Read a large sign on the doors.

Well, horseapples... Guess it’s the stairs, then.

Going down thirteen flights wasn't so bad, but as everypony knows, it isn’t the descent that’s the hard part. Jumping over the last step, I touched down and made my way across the lobby to the exit. Reaching the door, I opened it, only to be blasted with a loud howling wind, and a strong gust of frigid air, causing me to reactively slam the door shut with both forehooves.

I hate winter...